Apparatus and methods for electrostatically producing dye-printed material

Abstract

A method for producing a printed material, a method for producing a dye-printed material, a printing apparatus, and a dye-printing system have a good transfer property when a dry toner including a dye is electrostatically transferred to a base material, such as a fabric, based on an electrophotographic system or the like. The methods include a step of providing at least one type of dry toner containing a dye component and a binder resin to a charged body, a step of transferring the dry toner from the charged body to a base material, and a step of fixing the dry toner on the base material. In the transfer step, an electric field is applied between the charged body and the base material to fly the dry toner on the charged body from the charged body to the base material.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for producing a printed material comprising:
 electrostatically holding at least one type of charged dry toner containing a dye component and a binder resin to a charged body; 
 transferring the dry toner from the charged body to a base material fixed to a conveying belt; and 
 fixing the dry toner to the base material, 
 wherein in the transferring step, the charged dry toner on the charged body is flown from the charged body to the base material by applying a high voltage to an electrode arranged through the conveying belt and the base material in a state in which a gap is provided between the dry toner on the charged body and the base material to generate an electric field at the gap, 
 wherein the high voltage is not less than 85% of y, and not more than 160% of y, and 
 wherein x [mm] is a distance between the charged body and the electrode, and y=1.45x+1.68 [kV]. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the base material has projections and recesses on a surface. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the base material is a fabric. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 3 , wherein in the transferring step, the dry toner is arranged between fibers constituting the fabric. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 3 , wherein a gap between the fibers constituting the fabric provided in the transfer step is filled with an inorganic filler. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the charged body is a conductive photoreceptor, and 
 wherein in the electrostatically holding step, an image based on the dry toner is held to the conductive photoreceptor. 
 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein in the fixing step, the dry toner is provisionally fixed to the base material. 
     
     
       8. A printed material produced by the method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       9. A method for producing a dye-printed material comprising:
 the method for producing a printed material according to  claim 1 ; and 
 dyeing the base material by the dye component in the fixed dry toner in the printed material. 
 
     
     
       10. A dye-printed material produced by the method according to  claim 9 . 
     
     
       11. A printing apparatus, comprising:
 a base material conveying unit that conveys a base material; 
 an electrostatic holding unit that electrostatically holds, on a charged body, at least one type of charged dry toner containing a dye component and a binder resin; 
 an electrode arranged through the base material conveying unit and the base material, the electrode providing a gap between the dry toner on the charged body and the base material; 
 a transfer unit that transfers the dry toner held on the charged body to the base material conveyed by the base material conveying unit, the transfer unit having a high-voltage power supply that applies a high voltage to the electrode to generate an electric field strong enough to fly the charged dry toner on the charged body from the charged body to the base material; and 
 a fixing unit that is arranged on the downstream of the transfer unit on the base material conveying unit and that fixes the transferred dry toner to the base material, 
 wherein the high voltage is not less than 85% of y, and not more than 160% of y, and 
 wherein x [mm] is a distance between the charged body and the electrode, and y=1.45x+1.68 [kV]. 
 
     
     
       12. The printing apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the base material conveying unit conveys the base material that has projections and recesses on a surface. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the fixing unit provisionally fixes the transferred dry toner to the base material. 
     
     
       14. A dye-printing system comprising:
 the printing apparatus according to  claim 11 ; and 
 a dye unit that is arranged on the downstream of the printing apparatus and that dyes the base material discharged from the printing apparatus by a dye component in the dry toner fixed to the base material.